For All or None
by TheWabbajackX
Summary: The fate of every world rests in the hands of a team of Autobots that must unite the galaxy against the Decepticons and their Reaper allies. Will our heroes light our darkest hour or fail and allow all life in the galaxy to bite the dust? Only time will tell... Mix of G1, Prime, WFC/FoC, Animated, Michael Bay movies continuities and some of my own stuff. Alternate ME storyline
1. Pax

The young red and blue Autobot paced up and down the loading row of the storage facility. His mind was full of worry. Yet, he kept himself collected and stoic as always.

"Calm yourself, Orion," the fembot beside him spoke.

"It's "Optimus" now, Ariel," he corrected her. His voice was smooth and held that essence of youth. "Part of the rite of passage into the next phase of my life." She nodded, understanding.

"You still shouldn't worry yourself so much," she told him. "There's nothing you can do." Optimus nodded slowly and sighed.

"I know," he answered. "I still can't help but feel I can do more." Ariel placed her hand upon his metallic cheek comfortingly.

"If you had kept your mouth shut, you could be doing more," a loud boisterous voice spoke up. Optimus and Ariel turned to face the large bulky blue Autobot with an enormous chin walking towards them. Optimus sighed softly under his breath.

"Hello, Sentinel," he greeted flatly.

"That's Sentinel Magnus to you," he boasted. Ariel shook her head.

"They'll make anyone a Magnus these days," she scoffed. Sentinel wrapped his big blue arm around her waist, a slimy grin on his face.

"Play your cards right, and I'll put in a good word for you," he said with a wink. Ariel slid from his grasp and wrapped herself in Optimus's. Sentinel let out a silent huff and shrugged. "So what do they have you doing now, Optimus?" Optimus sensed the contempt in the young bot's voice but paid no heed.

"I have been made acting overseer of storage yard 67, if you must know."

"Dock-worker, eh? Well, shouldn't you get back to your post then, eh, _soldier_?" Sentinel emphasized the word "soldier" in particular and smirking as he said it.

"This is my post, Sentinel," Optimus replied. Sentinel looked at the sign right beside them that read _"Storage Yard 67"_. He grew silent for a bit.

"I knew that," he said, glancing away. Ariel snickered under her breath at him. "Guess you've reached a new low now."

"It is not as glamorous as my previous job in the Hall of Records-"

"As a clerk?" Sentinel laughed. Optimus ignored him and continued.

"But the labor builds my strength and is rewarding," he said. "Overseeing this storage yard helps strengthen my leadership skills as well."

"Uh huh," Sentinel answered flatly, clearly not interested. His gaze shifted back to Ariel. "So feel up for a scouting mission with yours truly, Ariel?"

"I'm off duty," she said flatly. Sentinel shrugged off her rejection and left. Optimus breathed a sigh of relief. Ariel gently patted his shoulder.

"I don't know how you do it, Optimus," she said. "I wouldn't have had the patience to stomach him picking at me if I were you."

"It was not an easy task, but I did it." Optimus furrowed his brow, contemplating something. "I just can't imagine why Zeta Prime would make him a Magnus." Ariel nodded in agreement but had an idea as to why.

"Sentinel and Zeta share common ideals," she said. "Their support for the caste system. Probably why he doesn't like you and why…." She bit her lip, not wanting to say anymore.

"It is fine, Ariel," Optimus told her. "I do not regret speaking my mind." Optimus did not support the caste system and was rather vocal in his beliefs. This brought him into confrontation with Zeta Prime and especially Sentinel. That and his former friendship with Megatron made sure he was kicked out of the Cybertron Elite Guard training program. The draft put in place to combat the Decepticons ensured he could not return to his position as a clerk, so he was given a menial job at the docks. His combat skills were impressive, but Zeta Prime doubted his willingness to fight on the battlefield.

"It's not fair though," she continued. "This caste system and what happened to you. You should be Prime."

"While I do respect Zeta Prime and his desire to protect Cybertron, the caste system represses all our freedoms." Optimus held no anger towards Zeta Prime or Sentinel Magnus, himself a very level headed and respectful Autobot. "And you know as well as I do that a Prime can only be selected by the Matrix of Leadership."

"But it's been lost for years, Optimus," Ariel stated. "Zeta needed no Matrix to become a Prime. The Council promoted him."

"I do not agree with the Council's decision to disregard the Matrix, but I can see why they did." Optimus placed his arm around her waist. "Searching for it for so many eons and finding nothing is taxing. I hope it will be found one day and a Prime can be chosen the right way, but until then, I accept Zeta Prime as our leader."

"Spoken like a true Prime," she teased. Optimus smiled a little. "You don't know how badly I wanted to punch Sentinel right in his big jaw, but I held back for you."

"I'm glad you did," Optimus said. "We are divided enough already."

"Optimus, what happened with Megatron wasn't your fault."

"Overzealous pride and Megatron's lust for power and violence are what divided our people." he said. "I do not blame myself, but I wish we could be friends again."

"Hard to believe it's only been a few months since the fighting started," Ariel said. The first few months on conflict were very destructive, with large casualties and enormous amounts of devastation to the buildings and architecture. The fighting had reached a stalemate, with neither side able to gain a foothold. Oddly enough, Decepticon activity shrunk down to nearly zero when Megatron and his closest followers took the leader of Cybertron's Intelligence Division, Longarm Magnus, hostage and fled the planet. "I'm worried about my sister. Longarm was her commanding officer. She respects him, and all this must be hurting her a lot."

"We're all worried about Longarm," Optimus consoled. "However, he is still functioning, and that's something. Arcee is resilient. She will hold."

"She's also incredibly stubborn," Ariel stated.

"Like you were?" Optimus teased. Ariel laughed.

"She could learn some things from you," she said, resting her head upon Optimus's shoulder. The Autobots gazed up into the starry sky, the dark void of space stretching on forever. Ariel sighed. "I hope Longarm is safe."

"As do I," Optimus replied.


	2. Alliance of Destruction

The two vessels floated in the dark silence of space, far out of range of any Autobot forces. The Decepticon warship, the Nemesis, had docked with a ship twice as large as itself. The enormous ship resembled the shape of an ancient aquatic organic lifeform they had found while scanning a distant planet. The interior was like the deep caverns of Cybertron yet also was very alien in its design. The Decepticons' footsteps echoed on the metal floor as they coved the inside.

"Soundwave, what do you detect?" the tallest of the search party spoke. His voice was smooth yet held a sinister twinge. The tall and skinny Decepticon turned to his master. Soundwave displayed a visual upon his visor. A faint signal could be detected, subtle waving lines pulsing on the visor screen. "So something inside this vessel is still functioning." The tall Decepticon turned to a skinny gray and maroon seeker and a large bulky blue and olive con. "Starscream, Lugnut. Cove this ruin for anything salvageable." The seeker Starscream waltzed forward and past the hulking Lugnut.

"Your faith in me is well-placed, Lord Megatron," he spoke, his voice high pitched but smooth like water. "I shall see to it that Lugnut is careful." Lugnut huffed in irritation at the smaller Decepticon.

"Pay no mind to him, my lord," he huffed indignantly. "Wherever Lord Megatron's focus is placed, I am always careful!"

"Ahem," a dapper voice called out. Megatron, Starscream, and Lugnut turned to a skinny yet tall Decepticon with one glowing eye. "Your "search" will not be necessary. Soundwave and I have obtained access to some sort of terminal here." The Decepticon tapped his pointed fingers on a device before him. Soundwave stood still, aloof to them all.

"Excellent work, you two," Megatron said. Starscream scowled, and Lugnut quaked with rage. "What can you tell me of this vessel, Shockwave?" The gray con turned back to his master, his red eye glowing in the darkness.

"It is difficult to read, my lord," he replied. "These controls seem very Cybertronian, but the design of this vessel is like nothing I've seen. It's absolutely fascinating…." Soundwave's visor began to ping loudly, the signal growing more prominent.

"Where is it coming from?" Megatron asked. Soundwave turned to a large open area in front of them and pointed. Just then, lights activated within the ship, illuminating them all in a faint blue glow. Megatron's fusion cannon hummed to life. The Decepticons' weapons were primed and ready for a fight. The lights began to transition from a faint blue to a burning bright orange. A holographic image of the ship was cast above them, twice as large as their forms.

"Lesser beings…" a synthesized voice called out. It was deeper than any voice they've ever heard. Its voice contained a whirring reverb as it spoke.

"Address our mighty Lord Megatron with respect!" Lugnut yelled at the machine in spite. Megatron raised a hand to silence him.

"Megatron…" it repeated. The Decepticons stared at the projection. Megatron's eyes burned with curiosity. Not since his secret project Trypticon had he seen something so enormous and powerful. A large laser wall descended over them. The Decepticons were unnerved but unharmed by it. "You are synthetic, as we are."

"There's more than one of this thing?" Starscream asked silently. This ship intimidated him, and now that it proved to be sentient, it unnerved him all the more.

"Who or what are you?" Megatron asked sternly.

"We have no name," it stated. "Others know us by the classification of "Reapers". Individually, some would classify myself by the name of "Sovereign". In the end, what you choose to call us is irrelevant."

"Reaper…" Megatron repeated, fixated on the word. He liked it. It held power. Fear. "So what is it that you "reap", Sovereign?"

"We reap the dominant life forms of the galaxy," Sovereign stated. "The harvest is a process by which we wipe a galaxy clean for repurposing. The order of this galaxy is flawed. The cycle will continue."

"Shockwave, what can you tell me about this Sovereign?" Megatron asked.

"It is much older than anything I've ever seen, my lord," he stated, sifting through the data.

"Do not delude yourself into believing you have hacked into my data," Sovereign stated. "You see what I allow you to see." Megatron cackled silently to himself. This Sovereign both intrigued and amused him. Shockwave shrugged off the Reaper's words.

"Well, you have come at an opportune time, mighty Sovereign," Megatron mused.

"We know of your civil war," was its reply. Megatron blinked in surprise but quickly regained composure.

"Then, you know we seek to bring order to this galaxy as well," he continued. "If we were to join forces, we could wipe away all that is wrong with this cycle and start anew."

"You propose an alliance to superior beings," Sovereign said. "What would you have to offer to us?" Megatron rubbed his chin, thinking quickly.

"You know of our war, so I suppose you know the location of our planet." Sovereign grew silent.

"We….. do not," was its reply. Megatron grinned at the projection. It brought him satisfaction to see this high and mighty being brought down.

"We do," the Decepticon leader boasted. "And we could lead you to Cybertron for your cooperation. You eliminate the Autobot menace, and, in turn, Cybertron is mine to control. You may have the rest of the galaxy." Sovereign grew silent, seemingly contemplating the scenario.

"We acknowledge this," Sovereign stated. "The Reapers shall come to your aid, Decepticon Megatron." The leader's face contorted into a wicked grin. He had found the edge that would end this stalemate between the Autobots and Decepticons and would put their planet in his clutches. "The Autobots obtain a similar design structure to your own. Your current platform is inefficient. To assure cooperation, you will be provided stronger and more efficient platforms."

"Megatron is perfect the way he is!" Lugnut bellowed.

"Indeed, but let us hear him out, Lugnut. Anything to give us the edge over the Autobots is a welcome addition." Megatron said. The hulking oaf nodded. "What could your technology do that our mech tech cannot?"

"Our technology can make your current platform faster, more powerful, and provide you with superior weaponry," Sovereign stated. Two giant cylindrical containers descended from the ceiling and sat in front of them. "Should you choose to accept, you will be reconfigured and made more efficient. You will still keep your concept of identity, if you desire." Megatron placed his hand upon the glass cylinder, staring into it. His mind wandered at the possibilities of his newfound power.

"I accept your offer, Sovereign," Megatron said. "As does Starscream." Starscream glanced nervously at his master.

"I do, master?"

"In the event I do not survive, I will take you with me," he said, grinning. Starscream's skinny legs trembled slightly.

"But surely that is not-" Starscream was not given time to finish. Megatron grasped him by his neck and chucked him into the cylinder. The container sealed shut, trapping the seeker within. "Megatron, no! No! Please! Take Lugnut instead! Or Soundwave!" Megatron stepped inside the other cylinder, it sealing shut before him. The cylinders were raised into the ceiling, with Starscream still crying out. The cylinders opened, and metallic clamps grasped them. Various prongs, arms, and other devices poked and prodded at their bodies. Parts and pieces were being ripped off of their bodies roughly. Starscream lived up to his namesake and screamed loudly in pain. Megatron roared in pain as well.

Lugnut stared up at the ceiling where they had been taken up to, his fists clenched in anger and worry. The yelling continued for several minutes until the behemoth could take no more.

"Our leader is in pain!" he shouted. The brute turned to the Sovereign projection. "Release them immediately!"

"So be it," was the reply. The screaming had stopped. A faint whirring could be heard and was growing louder. The cylinders re-emerged from the ceiling and descended to the floor. Megatron and Starscream stepped through, transformed. Megatron grinned at them, his teeth now jagged and sharp. They matched the rest of his form, which now stood tall over all them them. Even Lugnut. His armor was spiked and twisting, frightening to look at.

"The power…. I can feel it within…" His smooth voice was now replaced with one that was raspy and low yet kept that sinister edge.

"As do I, my lord," Starscream replied. His form was skinnier than his previous yet taller. His voice was lower and refined, easier to listen to than his previous one. His wing panels hung out far out from his body. His fingers were sharp and pointed, ready to cut into the metal of an Autobot chasse. Lugnut kneeled before his lord reborn.

"Lord Megatron," he preached. "You look glorious! The Autobots will fall at the sight of you!" The Decepticon commander grinned and looked at his science officer.

"Shockwave, this technology," he said. "I want you to experiment with it. Make our soldiers better than ever before."

"And I know just who to use it on," he replied, his eye shifting around. "But before I can do anything definite, I must tamper with it myself. I will need a test subject."

"I volunteer," Lugnut said, saluting his master.

"I cannot guarantee your survival, Lugnut," Shockwave added.

"Irrelevant," he stated. "I exist only to serve Lord Megatron."

"Your sacrifice will be remembered, Lugnut," Megatron replied, his eyes full of eagerness to see Shockwave's procedures.

* * *

The Vehicon troopers had their guns primed at the docking doors for whatever was about to come through. Soundwave may have confirmed their return, but with this new vessel, they were all in the dark. Knockout, Breakdown, Dreadwing, and Airachnid stood before the troopers, waiting for the return of their fellow Decepticons. The doors hissed open, Soundwave's footsteps clanking on the metal floor as he glided through the room. Shockwave came shortly afterwards. The bright red Knockout smiled at the return of his fellow science officer.

"You had us all worried, Shockwave," he said, his voice full of his typical cockiness. "Thought I would have had to replace you as our chief scientist."

"Perish the thought," the one-eyed con replied. Airachnid paid no attention to them, as she still waited for any sight of her master. She received one, although it shocked her deeply. Gasps and surprised muttering spread throughout the Vehicons as the newly upgraded Megatron and Starscream came into full view.

"My my, Lord Megatron," Knockout mused. "Love the new look. Suits your gladiatorial past. Yours is very fitting as well, Starscream." Dreadwing eyed Megatron with suspicion, unsure of what to make of this. The black and purple spider-like being glanced over Starscream's new platform. It was very sleek looking, but she hid her slight envy with contempt.

"Nice heels," she scorned. Starscream smirked to himself and raised his metallic eyebrow.

"You may be quick to laugh, Predacon," he said, his voice dripping with venom at using Shockwave's terminology for her. Airachnid hid a slight scowl. "but this new form is incredibly powerful. A gift to Megatron and I, courtesy of our new allies."

"New allies?" she asked warily. Starscream looked her dead in the eyes and grinned.

"The Reapers," he hissed. "Ancient machines that will help us retake Cybertron." Airachnid let loose a slight huff of air.

"Of course they are," she said dryly. "Megatron know you have a way with fairy tales?" Starscream gritted his teeth and hissed through them.

"I can assure you, Airachnid, that, for once, Starscream speaks the truth," Megatron said, his newfound raspy voice filled with contempt. The seeker stood up straight and smirked down at her.

"Hear that?" he jested. "I speak the truth."

"For once," she said, brushing him off. Starscream clenched his fists and growled under his breath.

"Exactly what happened with these "Reapers", sire?" Knockout inquired.

"We made a mutually beneficial agreement," their leader began. "The Reapers have this goal of purging all dominant life forms in the galaxy. As you have no doubt seen, they are enormous in size. They also are very powerful, with the ability to transform life. They know of our war and seek to reap the Autobots." Knockout and Breakdown exchanged confused glances. "Yet, they do not know of Cybertron's location. This reaper outside, Sovereign, shall lead his allies to Cybertron and assist us in taking our home back. We get our rightful place as the rulers of Cybertron, and they get to harvest Autobots. Then, they shall be on their way."

"Lord Megatron, how can we trust these…. Reapers?" Airachnid asked. "What is to stop them from harvesting us afterwards?"

"Because, little Predacon, we are both synthetic life," Megatron stated. "We both seek order upon this galaxy. Sovereign said we would make great allies. Plus, without us, the Reapers will never find Cybertron."

"So this Sovereign, he's in command of the ship?" Breakdown asked. Megatron grinned to himself.

"Sovereign IS the ship," he announced. Breakdown and Knockout exchanged confused glances once more, unsure of what to say.

"Shockwave?" the medicon asked.

"So he says," Shockwave replied, having Soundwave analyze the Reaper technology Sovereign had donated. "As to whether the ship is outfitted with an independent AI interface or being remote controlled, I cannot say just yet. Not without a thorough analysis of the ship." Shockwave had Soundwave display data readings of the Reaper tech's infrastructure to them both. Knockout stroked his chin, looking over the data.

"Fascinating," he spoke. "If we can successfully integrate this into the troops, we will undoubtedly break this stalemate between us." Knockout picked up a piece of Reaper tech and tucked it under his arm. "I'll begin research immediately, Lord Megatron."

"As will I," Shockwave added.

"Can such designs interface with Insecticon platforms, Shockwave?" Megatron asked.

"With some modifications, they can be," the con answered, the accent in his voice ringing clear. "Although, I am more eager to begin work on Project: Dinobot. This newfound Reaper tech will make the work much easier."

"Excellent," Megatron uttered.

"So what happened to Lugnut?" Breakdown asked. Starscream and Megatron exchanged eager glances.

"Lugnut will be… joining us shortly," Megatron said with a slight rasp.

"Lugnut's modifications are more drastic than our own," Starscream added. "He is the prototype for our new army of Decepticon-Reaper warriors. Unfortunately, what little there was of his mind was sacrificed for more power, but it is not a great loss." Heavy footfalls echoed behind them. Starscream and Megatron parted from the middle of the hall. The Decepticons stared in shock and silence at what had become of Lugnut.

"Megatron, you mad genius!" Knockout shouted with eagerness. Breakdown clutched at his chestplate in uneasiness. Dreadwing stared at this new Con-Reaper hybrid, fire burning in his eyes. He could sense the power in it but was angered greatly at the abomination Lugnut had become.

"It's only the beginning, Knockout," Megatron hissed.


	3. Warning

The Great Dome of Iacon bustled with activity. Autobots were running left and right. Members of the Cybertronian Elite Guard, Cybertron Intel, the Wreckers, and others were gathered around. Whatever Zeta Prime had summoned them for, it was serious. Wrecker and Elite Guard Commander Ultra Magnus escorted a battered Longarm Magnus to the meeting room.

"We'll have Ratchet get you fixed up, sir," the hulking Autobot told him. Longarm kept the tech he had smuggled from Megatron's clutches close to his chasse. "You still haven't explained what that is."

"I'll explain it when we reach Zeta Prime," the short gray Autobot stated. "It's important he hear this." The two bots approached a door that slid open. Inside was a round table with Zeta Prime at the end. His blue and gold armor shined brightly in the light. His right hand man Sentinel Magnus stood at his side. On the table were various projections, monitors, and other such things. A light blue Autobot whizzed up to Longarm and spoke rapidly.

"Lorgarm-Magnus-sir-Might-I-say-it's-a-relief-to-h ave-you-back-safely-here-in-Iacon-"

"Easy, easy, Blurr," Longarm said. "Remember what we discussed." Blurr nodded and took a deep breath.

"Apologies… sir," Blurr said. To him, he was speaking incredibly slowly. To everyone else, he spoke normally. "It. Is. Good. To. Have. You. Back. Safely. Here. In. Iacon…"

"Give the bot room to breathe, Blurr," a short pink and white fembot said, having him back away. A red bot stood beside her, his arms folded.

"Arcee, Cliffjumper," the Intelligence commander greeted. "I… I was briefed on Tailgate." Arcee glanced down mournfully. Cliffjumper raised a hand to place on her shoulder but lowered it back to his side, deciding against it. "I can't help but feel responsible."

"You know that's not true, sir," Arcee stated. "Tailgate knew something like that could happen when he joined the cause."

"Still, if I had waited on that full escort instead of letting my curiosity get the better of me, he'd still be with us."

"With all due respect, sir," Cliffjumper interrupted. "None of us expected that beacon to be a trap."

"I-blame-myself-sir-If-I-had-better-calibrated-the -"

"Blurr…" Arcee called out in irritation. Blurr silenced himself and stood at attention.

"We can discuss all this later, Intel Bots," Longarm said. "Now, Zeta Prime needs our attention." The bots nodded and walked with him over to the table.

"Longarm Magnus," Zeta Prime said. "I was told you have acquired some sort of new technology." The Magnus nodded and placed a peculiar looking item on the table. The bots around the table gazed at it. "Can you explain what it is? Or even what happened out there?" Longarm sighed heavily.

"Zeta Prime, with all due respect, our commander has been through so much recently," Arcee spoke up. "He needs time to recharge."

"There's no time for that, Arcee," Longarm said. "Not after what I saw…" Cliffjumper patted his boss's shoulder and nodded at him. Longarm Magnus returned the nod and looked up at Zeta Prime.

"When they left Arcee and Tailgate at the hands of the Decepticon Airachnid, they took me to the Nemesis," he started. "Megatron led the ship out of Cybertron's orbit and somewhere deep in space. We boarded this enormous…. thing! I can't even begin to describe it!"

"How big was it?" Sentinel asked.

"Twice the size of the Nemesis," he replied. "I think it was a ship." Worried glances were exchanged between fellow Autobots.

"Did anyone leave the ship?" Zeta Prime asked.

"Only Decepticons Shockwave, Megatron, Starscream, Lugnut, and Soundwave entered, but Lugnut didn't come back," Longarm Magnus said. "But Megatron and Starscream….. they were changed."

"Changed how?" Sentinel asked.

"Their forms had been upgraded somehow," he spoke. "They were transformed. Barely recognizable. Something in there had changed them. For what happened to Lugnut, I couldn't say."

"This is getting' heavy," Cliffjumper whispered to Arcee. She waved her hand to silence him.

"How did you escape?" Sentinel Magnus asked.

"Megatron was busy examining this tech," Longarm said. "I hacked through the security systems and snuck into the hangar. I managed to grab some of these before I boarded one of the escape transports. By the time they knew I had escaped, I was halfway to Cybertron."

"Lucky break, boss," Cliff said.

"Not so sure if this is lucky, Cliffjumper," Longarm replied. "I'm not sure what we're dealing with here. I've barely gotten time to examine the tech, but I can tell you it's far more advanced than anything we have. I'm not even sure if this tech is safe. It pains me to say it, but I think we should destroy this."

"Negative, Longarm," Zeta Prime spoke. "If the Decepticons have this tech, we need to examine it to see how we can combat it."

"Give the cons a taste of their own medicine!" Sentinel said, punching his fist into the flat of his hand.

"You'll have to work fast though, Longarm," Zeta Prime said gravely. "I fear the cons will be here soon." A holographic projection of Cybertron showed several Decepticon signals as well as unknown anomalies slowly approaching their orbit.

"How long do we have?" Longarm asked.

"I have no idea," Zeta Prime uttered. "A week. Maybe two…."

* * *

Longarm Magnus clutched his fist and ran his digits over his arm panels. The orange and white medical bot examined his repair work.

"Good as new, sir," the medical bot said.

"Thank you again, Ratchet," Longarm said. Ratchet nodded. "I… heard about Optimus." Ratchet nodded. "It's a shame. Optimus would have been a great soldier."

"It's Sentinel Magnus's fault," Ratchet growled. "Had it in for the bot since Autobot boot camp. This caste system Zeta Prime is fighting to protect is a load of slag. Of course, that doesn't mean I think what Megatron is doing is justified either."

"Of course," Longarm said.

"You've got more important things to worry about than Optimus right now," Ratchet said, patting his fellow Autobot on "Think you can whip something up with this tech?"

"I have to," Longarm replied. "If not, this'll be a short war."


	4. Offtime

"Come on, you weak sparklings!" Sentinel called out. "I wanna hear those pistons strain!" The blue Magnus had several Autobots lined up, having them transform from vehicle to robot form and back again. A large olive bot, a small yellow bot, and a heavy orange bot all lined up. Sentinel paced up and down in front of them as they worked. A sleek silver bot was leaning up against a wall, watching them work. A hum could be heard in the distance and was growing louder. A red shell-shaped vehicle sped up to Sentinel Magnus and transformed. He glared down at the little red bot.

"You're late, Cliffjumper," the Magnus huffed.

"Sorry, boss-bot," Cliff said with a casual chuckle. "Longarm Magnus had me on patrol with Arcee. You know how she is with a strict time table. Actually, she'd probably kick my tailpipe if she knew I was late."

"No excuses!" Sentinel bellowed. "Any day now, Decepticon forces could be knocking on our doorstep! You use the same excuse over and over, Cliffjumper. It's yesterday's model, and I'm not buying it."

"It's the truth, sir," Cliff said. Sentinel huffed in his face. Cliff hid a disgusted grimace due to the smell of Sentinel's breath.

"Jazz got here in time," the big chinned bot brought up.

"Relax, Sentinel, baby," the silver bot said with a relaxed smile. "He's good. Cliff's a chill bot. I can vouch for him." Sentinel threw his hands in the air in exasperation. Jazz slid over to his fellow guardsman and patted him on the shoulderpad. "This whole deal's got you stressed out. You gotta be in tune with your inner zen, baby. Take an oil bath or somethin'. I'll take over." Sentinel shrugged and transformed, driving off. The bots looked at Jazz, awaiting further orders. "Take five, guys." They all let out a sigh of relief and took to the oil cooler. Jazz and Cliff exchanged grins and firmly shook hands. They let go and bumped fists.

"Thanks for covering me again, J," Cliff said.

"Anytime, Cliff," the cyber ninja replied. An orange and white vehicle pulled up and transformed. "What it is, Ratchet?"

"Time for the annual Autobot physical," he spoke. Slight groans came from the troops.

"Do Bumblebee first," Cliff said, pointing at the little yellow bot across from him. Bumblebee shot him a look.

"No way, Cliff!" his high-pitched voice piped up.

"I'll go first," the big orange bot spoke up. Ratchet walked over to his friend Ironhide and analyzed his systems. "How's Optimus holdin' up, Ratchet?" Ratchet huffed in irritation.

"He's fine, but I'm still irritated by his discharge," the medic grumbled.

"I ain't too keen on it either, but right now, we gotta focus on this here Decepticon threat." Ironhide adjusted the sights on his cannons. "Can't wait to bust these things out on some dirty cons."

"Do the Wreckers really serve under Ultra Magnus?" Bumblebee asked the big olive bot. The big guy looked down at the little yellow fellow with a proud grin.

"Yessir," he replied. "And we're proud to serve under his command."

"So you and Wheeljack technically work for both the Wreckers and the Elite Guard," Cliffjumper pointed out. The big bulky Autobot chuckled at the notion.

"Guess we do," he said. He turned to look at Ironhide. "You oughta think about joining the Wreckers, Ironhide."

"Don't like getting' things too complicated, so I'll just stick to one group at a time."

"What about the Lightning Strike Coalition?" Bulkhead asked. "I thought about joining myself, but I'm not so sure about Grimlock as a leader." Ironhide nodded.

"I'll give you that," the gruff orange Autobot said. "He's a strong fighter, but he ain't too keen on rules." Ironhide grunted when Ratchet pinched a cybernetic nerve in his pauldron.

"Grimlock's too big a wild card," Ratchet added. "He needs to be able to keep a lid on things and listen to others, like Optimus." He spat onto the ground in disgust.

"Zeta Prime and Sentinel could definitely learn from Optimus," Ironhide said.

"That's an understatement," Ratchet brought up. "They should listen to Optimus. Wars aren't won quickly, not without a lot of devastation or a lot of luck."

"I can see where they come from," Ironhide said. "I prefer action than to waitin' around, but Optimus is right. We're gonna need to be slow and steady if we're gonna win this right."

"Slow and steady doesn't exactly sound my style," Bumblebee said.

"Could've fooled me," Cliff said with a laugh. Bumblebee shook his head at the orange bot, laughing a little.


	5. Touchdown

Arcee, Cliffjumper, and Blurr watched as Longarm's transport hovered away from Iacon. Longarm had remained under the heaviest guard since he escaped the Nemesis. That with the constant training and drills under Zeta Prime and Sentinel Magnus's command, the Autobot forces had very little time to rest or even be alone.

"Alright, you two," Arcee said, turning to Cliff and Blurr. "With Longarm headed out of the city, I'm in charge. We're going to be drilling twice as hard." Cliff let out an annoyed but quiet snort.

"Come on, boss," Cliffjumper said casually. "We're already being drilled hard enough. Can't we tone it down a bit?" Arcee walked straight up to him and stood incredibly close.

"The Decepticons have a potentially new weapon of mass destruction on their side, and you want to relax?" she asked accusingly. Cliff slumped his shoulders and glanced away. He knew he couldn't win against Arcee. "We need to be on watch for whatever it is Megatron is planning." An enormous whirring sound and several thunderous crashes interrupted her. They all turned around to see a giant squid like machine making touchdown on Cybertron's surface.

"Think I found what they had planned," Cliff said.

"Decepticons-Decepticons-Decepticons!" Blurr shouted, buzzing around different spots of cover with his weapons primed. Several seeker Vehicons flew overhead and stung them with several blasts of machine gun fire.

"Take cover!" Arcee cried out, sliding behind a metal barricade with Cliffjumper.

"Boss said we had a couple of weeks before the Cons would hit us!" Cliff shouted, pelting the Vehicons with gun fire from his photon burst rifle.

"Megatron is anything but predictable," Arcee replied, brandishing her pistol and taking pot shots at the various Vehicons.

"Sharkticons!" Blurr cried out. Arcee and Cliff stopped firing and looked over at him as he still rained blaster fire on the approaching Decepticons, caught off guard by the word "Sharkticons". A garbled arrangement of shrieks snapped them back to the action. Just as Blurr said, a pack of Sharkticons were encroaching towards them. The two Autobots poured endless blaster fire at them to keep them back.

"How did Megatron get the aid of the Quintessons?" Cliff asked, shouting over the loud shooting. "They hate Cybertronian kind."

"You've got me!" Arcee replied. "Someone get those turrets online."

"On-it-boss!" In the blink of an optic, Blurr was buzzing over the turret controls. The large guns emerged from the tops of several buildings and began raining laser fire on the Decepticon invaders. Several rumbling footfalls and a garbled cybernetic growl caught their attention as a large hulking figure emerged over the hill. It looked as though it used to be the Decepticon Lugnut, but so little resembled him anymore. His purple and green exterior was mostly replaced with dark metallic parts with dozens of coils running along his chasse. His eye was now glowing blue as opposed to its previous red with several coils plugged into the back of his head. The two digits that comprised of his hands were now replaced a triple pronged claws.

"What have the Decepticons been doing?" Cliffjumper asked. "Is this what that stuff Longarm has does?"

"Something tells me it's more than that," Arcee replied. The blaster fire and the sound of the machine's whirring drowned out all other noise. The only constant thing was the battle. The Decepticons were hitting Iacon full force, with the giant machine causing the most devastation. Seekers flew through the air and dotted the Autobot forces below with blaster fire. Optimus and Ariel had been cornered in the docks by the encroaching forces. He had taken out a few with his foreman's axe but did not possess any means of firepower.

"We have to get to safety, Ariel," Optimus told her. He looked out through the door of the dock storage unit. Decepticon soldiers were storming the rest of the docks.

"We'll sneak out through the back," Ariel proposed. She looked out and saw that the Decepticons had left their flank exposed and unattended, allowing the two of them to slip away. Optimus looked at her and nodded.

"Let's roll out." The two of them transformed into their vehicle modes. Optimus was a Cybertronian truck while Ariel's was a Cybertronian landspeeder. The two punched on their thrusters and shot out through the docks and past the Decepticon troops.

"Escaping Autobots!" Optimus heard one call out. Blaster fire began to dot and ricochet around them. The two Autobots pushed harder on the throttle to outrun them.

"Keep going, Ariel!" Optimus called out, but his cry was silenced by the blare of the large machine's whirr. A blinding bright red laser spearheaded its way towards them and sent the two of them flying through the air as it detonated a hole in the ground. Optimus hit the ground hard, transforming back to his robotic form and climbing to his feet. His optics couldn't see anything through the thick cloud of dust and superheated vapor caused by that laser impact. His spark jolted with worry for Ariel's safety. "Ariel! Where are you, Ariel?" He drew his axe and held it close, ready to swing at any Decepticon that comes through. As the dust and vapor began to settle, a tall silhouette was visible a few feet before him. It towered over him, and its jagged and spiny outline was the most prominent. The large figure was now fully revealed as the dust and vapor had finally cleared. Optimus noticed the purple Decepticon symbol on his chest immediately. The Decepticon was a grey color with burning red eyes, a sharp-toothed grin, and a large fusion cannon on his right arm. Optimus narrowed his optics, knowing well who it was. "Megatron…." His grin grew bigger at hearing his name.

"So good to see you haven't lost your touch since your demotion, Orion Pax," Megatron said, his voice dripping with contempt and full of intense rasp. "Although I hear you're called "Optimus" now." Megatron turned to see the giant machine attacking Iacon. "Isn't it glorious, Optimus? Such destruction on an unparalleled scale." Optimus climbed to his feet but kept his distance from the Decepticon leader.

"How did you acquire the aid of the Quintessons? And what is that thing?" Megatron smirked at his former friend.

"That would be Sovereign. He has given me immense power far beyond you Autobots' grasp, and it will allow me to reshape Cybertron as it should be." Optimus stared out at the intense devastation happening before him. This Sovereign was destroying both Autobot and Decepticon alike.

"He's destroying both our kind, Megatron!" Optimus reasoned. "Sovereign is ruining our home!" Megatron shrugged and merely let out a huff of indifference.

"All can be rebuilt, and the destruction of a few of my measly Vehicons is nothing in the grander scheme of things."

"Where is Ariel?"

"I do not know, but I will deal with her soon." Optimus grasped his axe tightly and locked his knees, ready to swing at Megatron.

"You will not touch her," he growled. Megatron let out a raspy laugh.

"You believe you can stand against me, Optimus?" The Decepticon leader held his arms out away from him. "Do you see what I have become? I am a fusion of Cybertronian and Reaper technology. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither."

"You're still arrogant, Megatron, and no upgrades in the universe can fix that."

"Boldly said, Optimus, but why fight? You know deep in your spark that you cannot beat us or Sovereign. Why not surrender and take your place at my side? I haven't forgotten our friendship, you know. All it would take is for you to kneel." Megatron's tone riddled with smug vainness.

"And what of my friends?" Optimus asked. "And my fellow Autobots?" He had no intention of joining Megatron but was trying to see if he could manipulate this into some form of a peaceful union.

"I would spare Ariel, of course, but the others must perish," Megatron answered. "They are too mired in their Autobot pride. Zeta Prime is an arrogant fool who wishes to keep us down. And I will be the one to end him."

"It doesn't have to be this way, Megatron! You can stop this. Zeta Prime is an honorable Autobot, but I do see his arrogance. All he needs to do is listen to us and-"

"When we marched before the Council and tried to reason with them, Zeta Prime and the others spat in our faces! I'm through talking. Now, I fight. Choose, Optimus. Us or them."

"I won't stand with you, Megatron," Optimus stated. "Not if you continue down this path."

"Be reasonable, Optimus. You're witnessing Sovereign's devastation firsthand. The war had not been this destructive since the faceoff between Trypticon and Omega Supreme. You would risk your own functionality as well as that of the fembot you love over pride?" Optimus sighed deeply.

"Not pride, Megatron. I stand against you out of many things."

"Like what?" the Decepticon scoffed.

"Like brotherhood. Selflessness. Compassion. Honor. And love." Megatron laughed in the young Autobot's face.

"Your bleeding spark will be the death of you. You would really stand against me over such trivial pursuits? Ask yourself, Optimus: Is surrender not preferable to extinction?"

"Is that you talking or Sovereign?" Megatron shook his head and sighed.

"Such heroic nonsense." He primed his fusion cannon and aimed it right for Optimus's chest panels, the energon within the cannon glowing an ominous purple. The two narrowed their optics at one another. "With my newfound power, one single blast ought to do the job."

"Even if you destroy me, Megatron, others will rise to defeat your tyranny." His words rang hollow to Megatron's audio receptors.

"Then I'll just have to destroy you all," he gloated.

"Destroy this!" a feminine voice called out. A blaster bolt fired out through the surrounding vapor and bounced off of Megatron's head. His shields were so strong, however, that he hardly felt it. Ariel walked quickly up to him, firing her pistol in rapid succession. Each shot hit Megatron's head dead center, but he showed no sign of pain or even movement. She continued to grow closer, but Megatron's gaze never left Optimus. Ariel stood right before him and pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty.

"Finished?" he asked. She looked up at him with newfound fear. Reaching out with his left hand, Megatron smashed her pistol and pulled her to him by the wrist. He clenched down tight, his jagged-toothed grin glinting in the light stemming from Sovereign's lasers cutting through buildings in the distance.

"Run, Optimus!" Ariel called out.

"Let her go, Megatron!"

"It's either you or her."

"No, Optimus! Let him take me!" Megatron grinned, taking in the look of frustration and anger growing on Optimus's face.

"I won't allow that, Ariel." The red and blue Autobot sat his axe down at his feet and stood before the former gladiator. "I'm sorry." With a single blast, Optimus's chestpiece flew open, sparks, parts, and energon flying everywhere. He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"Optimus, no!" Ariel shouted. Megatron thrust her towards his broken body, and she knelt beside him, cradling her love. The cynical Decepticon leader let off a low chuckle. "You monster!" she uttered between sobs.

"If you love him so much, then you may join him." With that, Megatron blasted straight through her back. Her body collapsed onto Optimus's, the spark draining from her. The two of them were sat in a pool of their own energon. Megatron towered over their broken bodies, reveling in his victory over his so-called friend. The hum of an engine caught his audio receptors and grew louder until Starscream flew overhead and transformed to his robotic form. He strode up beside his master and stared down at the two.

"I witnessed your carnage from afar, master, and I was quite impressed," the seeker said, his voice dripping with slime. "How joyous it must have been to strike him down."

"Optimus was many things: a dockworker, a clerk, and even a soldier for the longest time. Yet, at the end of this day, all he was was a stubborn fool."

"What of Sovereign, master?" Starscream asked. "He is wandering away from Iacon."

"Sovereign has his own agendas. It matters little. Iacon is ours. Come, Starscream. There is much to be done." The two transformed and flew up into the air.

"Ariel, no!" Arcee called, having witnessed the entire thing from afar. Cliffjumper and Blurr had seen it all as well but were far too preoccupied with keeping the formerly known Lugnut and the Sharkticons from destroying any more of their turrets. If they struck down any more, they'd be overrun in seconds.

"Arcee, we gotta book it! Now!"

"We can't just leave them out there! I won't leave them!" Cliffjumper pulled her in close and stared right into her optics. He held the most intense look she had ever seen him with.

"Will dying here make things any better? Think of Chromia!" Blurr continued to cover them, but his weapons were running way too low on ammo for his comfort. Arcee shook her head and regained control of her emotions. It still hurt, but she had to take control.

"You're right, Cliff," she admitted. She was rather reluctant to say it but had now acquired a new sort of respect for the red Autobot. "We have to survive, but I will get Megatron for this. Mark my words."

"You got it, boss," he said with a wink.

"Autobots, retreat!" Arcee called. Cliff transformed into a small Cybetronian shell car, and Arcee and Blurr changed into Cybertronian sports vehicles. The three of them abandoned their cover and accelerated as fast as they could away from the battle. The final turret collapsed down into a large heap, taking half of the bunker with it. With this turret destroyed, nothing was keeping the Decepticon forces from advancing deeper into Iacon. As the invading forces vacated the docks, an eerie silence fell over. As though nothing had ever happened. The silence was broken by a faint whirring and the sound of gravel. A small blue roller came over the hill, stopping before the bodies of Optimus and Ariel. A visual scanner fitted to the front of it scanned the red Autobot symbol on Optimus's shoulder panel and transmitted it back to its owner. The Autobot symbol appeared on his screen, and the bot in charge of the little roller stared at it with great intensity. His focus was brought back to reality when the little roller beeped at him. He ran his mechanical digits over his beard before saying anything.

"Death will not be your destiny today, Optimus Prime…"


	6. The Coming Storm

Zeta Prime and Ultra Magnus had called an enormous summit. Any Autobots present within base were required to attend immediately. Autobots out in the field and sent to watch the perimeters would have to be caught up to speed later. The blue and gold Autobot stood alongside his blue and red hammer-wielding counterpart. Sentinel Magnus stood watching the two, tense and ready for action.

"Get moving, sparklings," a gruff voice barked. Zeta and Ultra Magnus turned to see a banged up faded green Autobot approaching them.

"A pleasure to see you as always, Sergeant Kup," Ultra Magnus said. Kup let out a huff.

"I'd rather be out on the battlefield than sittin' in here and listenin' to the think tanks," he growled.

"We're here to formulate a battle plan," Zeta Prime said.

"All I need to know is that if it leaks energon, I can end it," Kup replied. Sentinel continued pacing back and forth, getting cold feet like Kup had now.

"How bad is it really, sir?" he asked. Zeta Prime's face was grave.

"Bad," he said lowly. "Causalities are in the mid hundreds. A good number of them were caused by that giant thing the Decepticons brought with them."

"It matched the description o f the ship Longarm gave," Sentinel mentioned. Ultra Magnus and Zeta Prime exchanged looks of worry but were interrupted when Arcee burst into the room, bringing Blurr and Cliffjumper with her. The three of them stood at attention, saluting Zeta Prime and the two Magnuses.

"At ease, soldiers," Zeta Prime said with a wave of his hand.

"Sir, I'm afraid I need to report two casualties," Arcee said. Zeta Prime let out a heavy sigh.

"Not more," Ultra Magnus said, shaking his head solemnly.

"It's my sister, Ariel," she said slowly, hurt hanging in her voice. "Her and Optimus are KIA." A loud bang echoed through the room. They all turned to see Sentinel's fist in the metallic wall.

"No no no!" he shouted. "Not Ariel!" He caught a punch in the side of his big metallic head.

"Get it together, soldier!" Kup barked. "This is war! Bots die!" He piped up his cy-gar and turned to Arcee. "I regret the loss of your sister and Optimus. Both were good bots."

"We'll lose a lot more if we don't get a game plan together," Cliffjumper said. Sentinel was quiet for a while.

"Are you sure she's gone?" he asked.

"I saw it with my own optics," Arcee responded. "Both of them were shot down by Megatron himself." Sentinel clenched his fist at the mention of that name.

"He'll pay for that," he muttered.

"That's something we can all agree on, but we must keep our emotions together," Ultra Magnus said. They all turned to the direction of where a sudden screech came from. A black and gold Autobot transformed before them and bowed. It was the cyber ninja Prowl.

"What have you to report, Agent Prowl?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Sir, Decepticons have broken through sectors 9 through 12 of Iacon," he stated.

"That was Grimlock's post," Cliffjumper noted.

"Is his company KIA?" Zeta Prime asked. Prowl shook his head.

"There was no sign of any of them when I scouted the area. No bodies or anything."

"They just left their posts?" Arcee asked.

"Uh uh," Kup grumbled. "Not Grimlock. He ain't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he wouldn't dare leave his fellow soldier behind. Not without a scrappin' good reason. He's as loyal as they come."

"How do we know that?" Sentinel asked, his temper rising. The news of Ariel's death combined with Grimlock's disappearance was not a good combo. "Who's to say he didn't just abandon us?" Kup wouldn't have any of it, so he socked him in the back of the head.

"You'd do well to remember who you're talkin' to, son," he huffed. "I've been trainin' bots since before Zeta Prime became a Prime. I trained all you bots since you joined the corps. I know every one of my soldiers, and Grimlock didn't leave us behind."

"What about Longarm?" Cliffjumper asked. "Did he make it to safety?"

"We haven't heard word back from him yet," Sentinel said, nursing his head. "Try to raise him up on the comms again, sir." Zeta Prime had Teletraan 1's interface projected before them and interacted with several holographic controls. He then pinged the Autobot transport escorting Longarm Magnus to safety.

"Longarm, do you read?" the Prime asked. The signal was silent. "Longarm, repeat. Do you copy?" Again, silence.

"Longarm is not here," a low and sinister yet posh voice said. "Leave a message, and I will get it back to him." A chill flew through the room. The Decepticons had Longarm.

"We've-gotta-go-save-him!" Blurr blurted out.

"Can you get a fix on his signal?" Arcee asked.

"It's difficult," Zeta Prime said. That giant machine is causing interference, and the transport is flying too fast to get an accurate lock.

"Send the Aerialbots then!" Sentinel shouted.

"We can't spare the manpower, son," Kup barked. "We're already up to our audio receptors in dealin' with the Decepticons, Sharkticons, and Primus knows whatever that hulking Decepticon-thing out there is." Silence fell back through the room. "Longarm's flyin' solo on this one. At least until the situation changes." Arcee seethed in anger over their inaction. She would do anything to try and save their leader. Cliffjumper patted her on her shoulder panel. Feeling his touch calmed her slightly.

* * *

"I can't raise Zeta Prime on Teletraan," an Autobot pilot said.

"Try it again," his copilot said. "We need to let them know that Longarm is safe." Longarm sat in the back of the transport, listening to the two of them go back and forth. He hid a smile to himself. With Sovereign's signal blocking their transport's communications, the pilots were sitting ducks. The Autobot stood up and primed his cannon, blasting straight through the pilot's head. The copilot let out a shout and turned to see Longarm aiming at him. "Sir, what are you-" He didn't have time to finish as the shot blew the middle of his head wide open. Longarm's grey metal exterior shifted to a dark purple, with the Autobot symbol on his chest shifting to a Decepticon one. His body then began to shift from his Autobot alter-ego to reveal his true form: Shockwave. The Decepticon dragged the two Autobot bodies to the back and hacked the Teletraan comm systems, bypassing Sovereign's signal to contact Megatron.

"Longarm, do you read?" a voice called out over the comm. Shockwave recognized that voice as belonging to Zeta Prime. "Longarm, repeat. Do you copy?"

"Longarm is not here," he finally replied. "Leave a message, and I will get it back to him." Shockwave then cut the signal to Iacon and reconfigured it to reach Megatron.

"Shockwave? Is that you?" Megatron's raspy voice asked.

"Of course, my liege," he answered. "I have taken control of the transport, and the Autobot pilots have been disposed of."

"Excellent," Megatron said. "Is the Reaper tech still secured inside?"

"Tucked safely in the cargo storage unit," Shockwave stated. "I will reach my laboratory in the Sea of Rust. This vehicle lacks any sort of substantial firepower, so I could use a proper escort."

"I will send Skyquake and Dreadwing," his leader said. "Tell me, Shockwave: with this tech, how long will it take you to complete this project of yours?"

"I'll need some test subjects first. As well as access to Lugnut's schematics."

"You'll be pleased to know that Hardshell and his fellow Insecticons captured some Autobots skulking around in the Sea of Rust," Megatron said. "They seemed to be looking for the energon lake."

"They will make excellent test subjects," Shockwave said. "With Sovereign's technology and my own ingenuity, I can churn out something even better than what Sovereign made Lugnut into."

"I will hold you to that, Shockwave," Megatron said. "We are now leading the charge into Iacon as we speak. I can only hope your creations won't miss the war."

"I have no intentions of missing the war, my liege…"


End file.
